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BBC news 2012-07-20

BBC News with Stewart Macintosh

With fighting intensifying in the Syrian capital Damascus, the latest diplomatic effort to strengthen United Nations sanctions against President Assad's government has failed. Russia and China again vetoed a UN Security Council resolution proposing further sanctions as Laura Trevelyan reports from New York.

The British-drafted resolution would have renewed the mandate of the UN monitoring mission in Syria and sought to impose sanctions against President Assad's government if it continued to use heavy weapons. All Western countries said this was the best way to increase pressure on Syria's rulers; Russia and China disagreed. Russia, a key ally of Damascus, said a resolution under Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter could ultimately lead to military intervention in Syria.

The American ambassador at the UN, Susan Rice, said the US would now work outside the UN Security Council to bring pressure on the Syrian government. In Damascus, Syrian government troops launched sustained assaults on rebels as President Assad appeared on television for the first time since the bombing killed three of his inner circle on Wednesday. Syrian state television showed Mr Assad swearing in a new defense minister while his forces used tanks, heavy artillery and helicopter gunships against opposition fighters. Rebel sources reported many casualties.

Syrian opposition fighters have seized border crossings with Iraq and Turkey as Jim Muir reports from neighboring Lebanon.

Perhaps sensing that the regime was too preoccupied with the battle at the center, rebel fighters stormed all the border posts along the eastern frontier with Iraq. Iraqi officials said 22 Syrian border guards were summarily executed after their post was overrun. At least two other posts on the northern Turkish border were also reported to have been seized. The developments on the borders are likely to make it easier for the rebels to bring in more arms and fighters although Iraq's government, which is dominated by the Shiite majority and is sympathetic to President Assad, has threatened to close it.

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed the Islamist group Hezbollah for the suicide bombing of a bus full of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria on Wednesday. Mr Netanyahu said the group based in Lebanon was being sponsored by Iran.

"Yesterday's attack in Bulgaria was perpetrated by Hezbollah, Iran's leading terrorist proxy . This attack was part of a global campaign of terror carried out by Iran and Hezbollah. Iran must be exposed by the international community as the premier terrorist-supporting state that it is."

Iran has denied any involvement in the attack. The Bulgarian authorities say a white man with long hair seen on video footage may have carried out the attack. Seven people died and more than 30 were injured in the attack in the Black Sea resort of Burgas.

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The political parties who came second and third in Mexico's presidential election earlier this month are demanding an investigation into allegations that the winning party, PRI, used laundered money in its campaign. The PRI has rejected the accusation as 'flagrant defamation' . The second placed candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has already filed a legal challenge to the election result.

The President of Guyana, Donald Ramotar, says there will be an investigation into the deaths of at least three people during clashes on Wednesday. Demonstrators protesting against rising electricity prices in the town of Linden said police had fired bullets and tear gas into the crowd. Protesters burnt down a local electricity plant and the offices of the governing party. They say rampant poverty and high unemployment make it impossible for them to pay more for their electricity.

British immigration and passport control staff are to go on strike on the eve of the London Olympics in a dispute about pay and job cuts. The action is expected to cause particular disruption to people flying into London for the games. Their day-long stoppage will be followed by a three-week overtime ban. The Home Secretary Theresa May condemned the strike.

"I think that is shameful, frankly. They are holding a strike on what is one of the key days for people coming into this country for the Olympic Games. I believe it's not right for them to hold a strike. They will risk damaging people's enjoyment of coming through into the UK. We will of course put contingency arrangements in place to ensure that we can deal with people coming through the border as smoothly as possible."

The Olympic tennis champion, Rafael Nadal, has pulled out of the London Games, saying he's not in condition to compete in the tournament.  He also said he would not attend the Games when he was due to be the flag-bearer for Spain during the opening ceremony. Rafael Nadal hasn't played since he was eliminated in the second round of Wimbledon to the 100th ranked Lukas Rosol.

And that's the latest BBC News.

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